Trap machines are conventionally used to shoot sporting clays, skeet, and trap. Sporting clays involves shooting clays at various locations which are launched at different velocities and angles, i.e., across the shooter's view, towards the shooter, or away from the shooter. This experience closely resembles actual hunting conditions since the sporting clays can be shot to resemble quail, pheasants, doves, and other game birds, as well as high-flying ducks or geese. Thus, it is more difficult for shooters to become accustomed to the shots as they might for trap or skeet shooting.
Skeet shooting involves shooting clays which are flung into the air at high speed and is meant to simulate the action of bird hunting. In one conventional arrangement, the shooter can be positioned along a semi-circle connecting two launching stations, a high house target and a low house target. The high house target launches the target from a point up to 10 feet above ground, and the low house target launches the target from a point up to 3 feet off above ground.
Trap shooting involves shooting clays which are launched from a single launching location, namely, a trap house positioned at a distance in front of the shooter, at varying angles within a range of 45 degrees to the left or right of a center position from the trap house. The shooter rotates to several different positions relative to the trap house.
Whether for shooting sporting clays, skeet, or trap, a conventional trap machine has a spring-loaded throwing arm for launching the clays. However, conventional trap machines are designed to shoot clays at a single trajectory angle. Even if the conventional trap machine is adapted to allow the user to adjust the trajectory angle, the conventional trap machines are typically manually adjustable and require the user to set the trap machine to the desired trajectory angle. Thus, the operation of such a machine is rather cumbersome and require considerable effort.
Furthermore, conventional trap machines are difficult to maintain. When parts, such as the threads in the connection between the magazine and the housing, become worn due to the vibration of the trap machine when releasing and launching the clays, major components including the main deck must be replaced, and often, the user will replace the entire machine rather than replace the major components of the trap machine.
Conventional trap machines also often break the clays due to excessive vibrations from a lack of rigidity in the structure of the trap machine and mistiming between the release of the clay and the swing of the throwing arm. Conventional trap machines are also typically limited to holding 70 clays in a single stack trap machine.
What has heretofore not been available is a reliable trap machine that automatically changes the trajectory angle, is easy to maintain, is capable of storing more than 70 clays in a single stack, and accurately times the throwing arm with the release of the clay.